


Where are you Chat Noir?

by Malauu_Ladynoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Drama, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friendship, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawkmoth Knows Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir, Hurt/Comfort, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Psychological Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:54:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29866692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malauu_Ladynoir/pseuds/Malauu_Ladynoir
Summary: As the final battle unfolds to their defeat, Hawkmoth and Mayura use plan b and hide in a 'Sentiworld', a parallel reality created with an Amok. What's worse, they drag Chat Noir with them. What's even worse, Ladybug can't say goodbye, or I love you. Guilty and desperate, what will she be ready to sacrifice to get her partner back?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my Betas : Etoile-Lead-Sama, AgresteBug, JuliaFC and Alixe
> 
> — This story could be categorized into several categories: Drama - Anguish - Hurt/Comfort - Friendship - Romance. Concretely, this story should take you up an emotional rollercoaster. However, I insist that my stories always end well and smoothly.
> 
> — Adrien has just turned 19 and Marinette at 18. 
> 
> — This is a rated M story so there will be (very) explicit sexual content. However a Warning will be placed before the scenes, giving you the possibility not to read them. They bring a plus to the story, but are not indispensable and the understanding of the story can be made without reading these scenes (which will only happen after several chapters).
> 
> — English is not my native language but I handle it pretty well and also my English betas do a great job on this story.

_CHAPTER 1 : How I lost you_

Ladybug stared longingly at the Black Cat ring she was holding in her gloved hand. A lonely tear rolled down her mask, but was stopped by a familiar black paw, belonging to the Kwami of destruction. "Are you sure?" he breathed at her with concern. 

She knew perfectly well what the price to pay was, _Le_ _Grand Gardien_ had explained it to her very clearly: Chat Noir would not be the same anymore. That would be her price to pay, her burden. She was going to have to repair the damage her partner had suffered. Damage of unknown proportions, but no matter what, she had to bring him back, she had to do it, she would do it. 

"Yes," she replied, "Tikki, Plagg, unify!" 

Ladybug instantly became BugNoire. 

A long black braid with bluish reflections danced along her back, two black and red cat ears stood proudly on her skull, her usual red mask with black dots now underlined with a very intense feline green gaze. 

Her suit was made of an identical upper part to that of Ladybug, except for a different detail: a symbolic golden bell that dominated the base of her neck, just under her chin. 

The lower part of the costume was black, similar to vertiginous thighs boots which were finished with two imposing green cat paws on the top of each of her thighs.

A black belt with red outlines underlined her waist and allowed her yo-yo to be hung on her left hip and her stick to fit in the bottom of her back.

She took one last look at what had been once the landmark of Hawkmoth and Mayura, as well as the place where she had last seen her partner, almost a two months.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she opened them again, a glimmer of unfailing determination appearing in her gaze.

"I wish to find Adrien Agreste," she whispered.

A luminous orb formed in front of her and stretched until it became a portal, which she passed through with trembling legs and a heavy body. She had made many unifications between The Kwamis before, but the one between Tikki and Plagg was by far the most powerful of them. It took a lot of energy for the heroine to use their two powers in order to be able to pronounce her wish.

* * *

**_8 weeks earlier…_ **

"Ready, _Chaton_?" 

"Always when you are by my side, m'Lady." He purred.

Ladybug put her hand on the doorknob, ready to push it open, but Chat Noir's hand rested on hers and stopped her movement.

"Wait." 

"I thought you were always ready, Chat Noir." She said sarcastically, turning back to face him.

The feline hero looked into his partner's eyes and took a deep breath to give himself courage.

"I am." He replied, pressing his lips against hers.

It was a shy kiss, soft and tender but of a mind blowing intensity. 

This was neither the time nor the place for that : yet the electricity that ran through her body, vibrating to the depths of her soul. 

Totally prevented her from protesting the silk feel his lips pressed against hers. 

She had been so surprised that Chat Noir kissed her, that she barely had time to realize and blend into the kiss, that he was already stepping aside. Then he slowly moved and left his nose to rest against hers. 

Their hot breaths were intertwined. In a whisper, slightly touching and caressing his partner's lips, the three words he had held captive for far too long fell fervently from the depths of his heart: " _I love you_." 

She instantly opened her eyes and was caught by two shiny feline orbs bigger than she had ever seen them before. 

"I.. I don't kn..know if.. if.. " She stammered, her lips always brushing against his.

"Ssht.." He interrupted her, "You don't need to answer anything, nothing compels you to share the feelings I feel for you. I just… really had to tell it to you before we go into this final battle." 

"You sound a little bit dramatic, Chat Noir." 

"Sorry, it's just that…" he paused to put a rebellious piece of hair back behind his partner's ear. "I'm afraid of losing you, or that something will happen to you. I care so much about you, m'Lady." 

It's true that Hawkmoth and Mayura had become stronger over the years, but they were going to defeat them, _right_? They were going to win this war, just as they had won each of their previous battles.

"Nothing will happen to me, I promise you. Together, we're going to go down there, and do what we've always done, defeat the villains."

"You are right, it's you and me against the world, Bugaboo." 

What Ladybug didn't know was that since they arrived here, Chat Noir had a bad feeling. A strange and negative intuition with which he didn't want to worry his partner but that had exacerbated, despite his will, his protective and sentimental side.

Perhaps it was related to the fact that he was going to have to fight against his own Father? Or the fact that his partner would soon discover that he is the son of their enemy and was afraid of her reaction? 

Chat Noir had discovered a few hours before, by chance, a surprising conversation between his Father and his assistant. That he was Hawkmoth, and that Nathalie was Mayura. It was almost midnight, and Adrien was just going to get a glass of water. As he went down the stairs, he had heard about Miraculous searches. Then he heard two other voices and Plagg suddenly came out of the hood of his holder's sweatshirt, completely alarmed. The Kwami cat recognized the voices of Nooroo and Duusu.

Immediately, Adrien sent Plagg to notify Tikki and her holder.

The Kwami of destruction had returned quickly after his mission to transform Adrien so he could join the meeting point he had given to his partner.

He had revealed to her the identity of Hawkmoth and Mayura, and had simply told her to trust him, that he knew it from a reliable source. They had decided to act immediately in order to completely surprise their enemies.

And that's how they now found themselves in Adrien's room. The young man had been put somewhere safe by Chat Noir before joining Ladybug. Well, in fact, it was what he was forced to tell her. 

The feline hero stayed nose to nose with his partner. He was dying to kiss her again, but he didn't want to take the risk of going too far or rushing things.

Even though tonight's adrenaline of the final battle had encouraged him to take a step forward to open his heart to Ladybug, he knew that she remained the woman who had refused his advances for 5 years. Which meant that she was unlikely to share her true feelings about him. But for some reason he didn't know, his instinct yelled at him, that it was now or never.

Delicately, he recoiled and dropped a slight kiss in his partner's hair. "Ready, m'Lady?" 

"Always when you are by my side, _Chaton_." She replied, echoing his words a few minutes earlier.

* * *

Chat Noir was in combat position, _en garde_ , with an elongated stick that he held like a fencing _sabre_. 

In front of him Hawkmoth had adopted the same posture, perfect slot and cane pointed forward, ready to hit his target. Hawkmoth was the first to _shoot_ _(attack in fencing language)_ and the feline hero blocked his shot with a perfect _Parade_ , before doing a _Riposte_. His opponent dodged the attack and immediately _counterattacked_ while Chat Noir did the same, both _Tireurs (two opponents_ _in fencing_ ) being in a situation of _simultaneous attacks (two opponents shot simultaneously)._ Chat Noir dodged the blow, while his stick hit the flank of his enemy. 

_"Touché"_ , exclaimed Chat Noir. 

His opponent frowned, clearly astonished by the knowledge and the good level of fencing of the feline hero.

Hawkmoth made a _call_ by hitting his foot on the ground to execute a _feinte_ _de coup droit dégagement (feint movement in fencing to cheat the opponent)._ That is to say, in this way, Chat Noir would think, wrongly, that he would hit him on his right flank, and would be forced to execute a _Parade_ to block the blow on his right side. However, despite the precision and speed of his opponent, the feline understands the _Feinte_ and blocked the blow to the left, picking up, in return, a frustrated growl out of Hawkmoth. 

Chat Noir at _Slot distance_ attack by right hit and his opponent _counterattacked_ immediately. The attacks followed one another for several minutes and neither of the two opponents managed to gain control over the other.

Ladybug, meanwhile, was engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with Mayura. She had a slight advantage over her enemy, but her concentration was often destabilized by the long sighs of exasperation from the two men who had engaged in a fencing fight and could hardly touch each other. She was also quite disconcerted by her partner’s fencing skills and her ability to handle his stick like a _Sabre_. It was skills she knew in another young man, but not in her feline partner. However, she came to the conclusion that the tactics employed by Chat Noir were not the right ones if he wanted to get closer to Hawkmoth, he was going to have to move to another type of fight.

"Chat Noir ! We need to switch, now!" 

The hero was surprised, but did not protest. He jumped to the side, as his partner drove to get away from Mayura and exchange opponents with him.

Chat Noir quickly gained the upper hand over Mayura. After a few exchanges of blows, he struck a powerful stick hit into her abdomen and sent her to the other end of the room. With her breath cut, the holder of the Peacock Miraculous tried to recover before trying to get up. 

He looked away to see the situation in which his partner was and his blood froze in his veins. Hawkmoth had an undeniable advantage over the heroine in terms of size, weight and strength. Ladybug may have been incredibly powerful, nimble and fast, but that was not enough to take over in a hand-to-hand against an experienced man and tall man as Gabriel Agreste.

The young woman appeared to be exhausted and her movements were slower and less accurate. Hawkmoth took advantage of an opening to hit his cane directly behind the knees of the heroine who fell to the ground.

"M'lady!" 

The young woman got up at once, but Hawkmoth had already adjusted his position and his cane : He was about to hit her again, this time, in the chest.

With an agile and rapid leap worthy of the feline of which he was named, Chat Noir jumped between Hawkmoth's weapon and Ladybug, taking the blow directly in the head.

He got up painfully and as quickly as possible, his head turning a little and slightly altering his balance. His partner was already standing and from the corner of her eye gave him a worried look.

Hawkmoth took advantage of Ladybug's obvious distraction to grab her face between his two hands.

“I hope that I didn’t punch you too hard and that the ground does not rotate under your feet Chat Noir, I want you to be fully aware of the revelation of the identity of your precious Lady,” mocked Hawkmoth while placing his gloved hands on Ladybug’s earrings.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir tried to punch him with his hand loaded with energy, a quick punch but too approximate because his head was still turning. Hawkmoth pushed Ladybug and easily blocked the feline's punch with his cane which disintegrated. He took advantage of the position of the feline in front of him to take the control. Using a very fast and perfectly executed arm key, Hawkmoth held Chat Noir completely blocked, his hand open and carrying the Black Cat Miraculous just under the nose of his enemy. With a sharp gesture, he removed the ring from the feline’s finger and pushed him to the ground, a flash of green light enveloping him instantly.

"Chat!" 

The un-transformed hero stood up and faced his opponent who was completely stunned and confused.

"Good evening, Father," said Adrien. 

Hawkmoth opened his mouth and closed it, no words coming out.

Ladybug took advantage of his shock to kick him in the abdomen which pushed him back, just next to Mayura.

The heroine advanced to Hawkmoth, but Adrien stopped her.

"Stay back, I will deal with it, it's between him and me," he said, moving quickly and with determination towards his Father, the latter still paralyzed by the shock.

"Gabriel?" Mayura was concerned. "Would it not be time to use our back-up plan!?" 

The man moved one step back away from his son and turned to her. In response, he nodded once to approve. 

Mayura opened her feather fan and turned on herself, creating a luminous orb all around her. Hawkmoth receded towards the orb, while Adrien confidently advanced towards him.

A malicious rictus was drawn on the face of the villain as his son approached him. It stopped just at the edge of the large circle of light that had stretched out and had now the diameter of a human's height. 

"Adrien! Back off, it's a portal! It's a trap!" 

Adrien turned to Ladybug, but it was too late. Hawkmoth put an arm around his waist and drew his son to him. 

"The fact that you are Chat Noir couldn't make me happier, because now, you are here and I can take you with me, son," Hawkmoth whispered.

The man took one last step back and penetrated completely into the light. Adrien struggled to escape, but in vain, as the gate closed on them he screamed:

"You will find me, m'Lady! I have faith in you!"

"No! Adrien!” Yelled Ladybug, falling knees on the ground. 

As the portal disappeared under her eyes, the young woman sobbed and screamed. She picked up the ring that had fallen to the floor. Tears flooded her eyes and hard pressure on her chest made her breathing difficult and painful: she hyperventilated.

" Spots off,” she whispered painfully.

"Marinette!” Shouted Tikki, exhausted, but terribly worried about her holder. 

The little red kwami slipped against Marinette's cheek, rubbing her little paws against the damp skin of the young woman and whispering soft and soothing words to try to calm and comfort her. Plagg, meanwhile, had wrapped himself in Marinette’s hand, holding his Miraculous between his little paws and sobbing at the departure of his holder. 

After several long minutes, Marinette found her breathing almost normal. Forcing herself, she then got up, trembling and exhausted.

"Bunnyx, I have to find Bunnyx! Tikki, we…" she couldn't finish her sentence because a portal suddenly opened in front of her. 

"Adrien!" She screamed before seeing a blue and white figure with rabbit ears come out of the light.

It was Bunnyx's burrow.

"Marinette! What happened? Chat Noir, Hawkmoth and Mayura have completely disappeared from the future! There is no trace of them! No matter how much I have come back in the past to try to change things, we always arrive at the same result: their total disappearance!"

Bunnyx paused, scratching the back of one of her rabbit ears and taking a moment to gather the rest of the information she could still give to Marinette. 

"They were suddenly erased from their own future, without me knowing how or why! even your kids disappeared from my screens just as their father..." 

Aware of the mistake she had just made by giving this information, Bunnyx put her hand against her mouth.

Marinette choked a sob and whispered: "Adrien…"

Bunnyx understood that she was already aware of her partner’s identity and that she had not accidentally revealed it to her. 

"Our children... Adrien... Bunnyx, we must find Adrien," she sobbed.

"Tell me what happened, Marinette?" 

Marinette explained all that had happened since Plagg had landed at her home to inform her that Chat Noir knew the identity of Hawkmoth, realizing at the same time that if he knew from a reliable source this information, it was because he was his son and that Adrien had therefore discovered the secret of his Father. She mentally noted for herself that Chat Noir was acting strangely and seemed worried after kissing her, probably because he was going to fight his father. _Oh my God, Adrien Agreste kissed me and said he loved me!_ She absorbed this information and tears flowed down her cheeks again as she explained their battle to Bunnyx and the end result of it.

"A portal? It's impossible. If they had used a time portal I would be able to locate them somewhere in time. Mayura had to open another kind of portal." 

"Teleportation?" asked Marinette

"No it doesn’t fit, even if they were at the other end of the world I could still see their future. But here they simply disappeared from it." 

"Do you think she could have opened an inter-dimensional portal?" 

"I don’t know at all, I have never seen or heard anything about it. But that might explain why, despite my many attempts to change this future, the result is invariably the same: there must be a gap that prevents me from intervening."

"Did you try to ask help from Ladybug of the past? As with... with Chat… Chat Blanc…" She stuttered. 

"Several times... but it always ends in failure. It is as if events were inevitable…" Bunnyx breathed bitterly. 

Marinette took a deep breath and exhaled as calmly as possible. She had to think like Ladybug, find out more information and develop an action plan. 

"I have to find Adrien." 

"We will find him, but first you need to rest," Bunnyx buried herself in her burrow and before it closed she cried out:

"I will come to see you tomorrow morning." 

That evening, Marinette did not have the strength to go home. She stayed in Adrien's room and lay on his bed, broken hearted and lost inside her own head. 

_To be continued..._

* * *

_I really hope that this first chapter makes you want to read the next one._

_Please let me know what you thought about it. Comments are a source of motivation for the author and are therefore highly appreciated._

_It is a pleasure to read your opinions and it is also a pleasure to answer them. (I will take the time to respond to each of the reviews at the beginning of the next chapter)._

_I wish you a good weekend in advance and I will meet you here in a week._

_Miraculous kisses to all._

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

###  _CHAPTER 2 : The Sentiworld_

The portal closed behind Adrien, and he quickly tried to get out of Hawkmoth’s hold on him. 

At the same time, Mayura collapsed on the floor, her body wrapped in a bright blue lightning bolt. Duusu was expelled from the Miraculous and collapsed on the ground next to Nathalie's body, exhausted and shaking. 

"Nathalie!" He kneeled to his assistant "Duusu what happened to her!? 

"Not strong enough... too much energy," the kwami blew, himself out of strength. 

He put his hand in the woman’s jacket and came out of one of the pockets, a handful of a mixture of linseed and sunflower. He laid them right next to the kwami so that he could feed himself. 

Adrien observed the scene carefully, and when his father turned to the Peacock kwami, he advanced towards Nathalie and put his hand on her Miraculous. 

Hawkmoth didn't give him time to take it, turning to him and grabbing by the collar, just to throw him against the wall behind them.

"What are you trying to do, Adrien? Do you think you can escape me so easily?" 

"Maybe. I will do everything I can to return home" replied Adrien recklessly.

"This is our new home, son. Welcome to the Sentiworld." 

"There's no chance in hell I'll stay here with you. Let me go." Adrien protested while struggling.

Hawkmoth pulled on the collar of Adrien's shirt and drew his son towards him. Then he threw him violently against the wall again.

"I said, this Sentiworld is our new home. Now, go to your room, son!" he cried, giving him an angry gaze.

"I’m not going to take orders from Hawkmoth. Show me your face, Father!" 

"As you wish. Nooroo, Dark wings fall." 

Gabriel Agreste was now standing in front of his son, the expression on his face was authoritarian and he was still firmly holding Adrien's shirt.

The young man took advantage of finally finding himself equal with his father and put his own hands on his. Quickly and brutally, he removed them from his shirt, making the man move a few steps back.

"Where is my room?" He asked while turning away from him.

"It is a perfect copy of the Manor, you will find it without difficulty in the usual place." replied Gabriel more calmly, satisfied to see his son obeying his orders.

Gabriel knelt again next to Nathalie. He took the peacock's brooch and pinned it under his tie, just under the Butterfly Miraculous. Then he lifted up the woman's body and he took her to a bedroom. 

Adrien observed him without saying a word, until he lost sight of him. He then opened the large entrance door behind him. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing, it was black, completely black. His stomach was tied painfully and he turned around to go back to his room. 

When he arrived at this one, he discovered with surprise that it was the exact copy of the one outside this strange place. The only difference he noticed, with horror, were the windows that left nothing to glimpse except an infinite expanse of black. No lights, no buildings. It was as if there was a wall standing in front of his windows. His worst nightmare came to life. He was trapped.

For the first time in a long time, he was alone. Alone in the world. He already missed Plagg. At this thought, he felt his heart squeeze into his chest. 

He walked to his desk, turned on his computer, and then found that there was no network, no internet connection. He was cut off from the world. Deprived of any interaction with the outside. Lost from all social life. 

He turned off his computer and walked around the room. He contemplated one by one the photos of his friends hanging here and there in his room. Then he opened the drawer of his bedside table and took out some photos of Ladybug and Chat Noir that he hid there. 

There was in this pile of photos a cliche that caught his attention. It was a selfie of his partner and him as a Chat Noir. He remembered perfectly that day. It was a few months ago, during a patrol on a night particularly warm for a month of March. 

The wind whipped the long ponytail that Ladybug had recently worn instead of her two pigtails and the light of the Moon reflected in her big bluebell eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous. That evening, he was certain that he had fallen in love with her a second time. 

As they finished their patrol with a debriefing at the top of the Eiffel Tower, he had asked her, well instead he had begged her until she yielded to the kitten's eyes, to agree to take a picture of them both. At the time of taking the photo, he could not resist the temptation to tickle her to destabilize her.

Which led to this beautiful picture where they were both laughing. He could still hear the wonderful melody that her laughter sang to him. Again, his heart grew painfully tight.

_ M'Lady, I need you, save me. _ He thought, letting himself collapse on his bed, his heart broken.

* * *

**_4 hours after the disappearance of Adrien/Chat Noir… In the real world:_ **

Marinette hadn't closed her eyes of the night. When she had gone to sleep in Adrien's bed, it was almost 3am. At first, she had wrapped herself in his sheets and buried her head in his pillow, getting drunk from her partner's smell. Then she cried all the tears out of her body. 

Quite quickly, her body was no longer able to produce a single drop. She had cried so much that she felt completely drained of all the water her body had. 

But her hydration level wasn't the only thing she thought was gone. If there was a part of herself that was empty, it was her heart: Adrien's disappearance had left a giant hole there.

Repeating the events that had taken place a few hours earlier, throughout the night, had only deepened this great crater. Marinette was constantly reliving the last minutes of their fight: Chat Noir taking a blow of extreme violence on the skull, Chat Noir disoriented while Hawkmoth was preparing to rip off the earrings of the young woman, Hawkmoth neutralizing him and removing his ring, Adrien lying on the ground and getting up to continue to face his Father, the portal, the horrible rictus on the face of Hawkmoth when he trapped his son and then Adrien disappearing with him under her helpless gaze.

Everything happened so fast that she didn't have time to act. She had stayed away, as Adrien had asked her to. It was a decision she bitterly regretted. She felt guilty for not protecting her partner, for standing back when her role was to stand by his side. 

As if she could read the way of her holder's thoughts, Tikki left the pillow on which she slept, huddled against Plagg, in order to get closer to her.

"Marinette, it's not your fault. All this is Hawkmoth's fault", whispered the little ladybug Kwami.

"I should have tried, I should have followed him and stayed with him. If I had been closer to him, I could have stepped in and held him. If only…”

"If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride, Marinette…"

"I couldn't even.. I couldn't.." she was sobbing again, her voice was trembling with emotion. "I couldn't tell him that I.. I love him too. I couldn't tell him how.. I really feel.. Not even tell him.. goodbye…"

Plagg who was listening to the conversation but who had been discreet and silent since the disappearance of his holder, suddenly straightened himself and floated to the face of the Guardian.

"There was no goodbye to say Ladybug! I won't let you abandon my kid! He's counting on you! Stop sinking and look for him! " 

"I feel empty. It hurts so much, Plagg." 

"Eating more Camembert than my body can bear also hurts, and yet it doesn't prevent me from trying to ingest even more. I know it hurts and you suffer, but you're going to have to face this pain and get up. If you don't do it for yourself, at least do it for him, please, fight for him. He said you'll find him, he trusts you, don't disappoint him Pigtails."

"I will never abandon him, but I don't know what to do, I don't know where to start." 

"Let us begin by taking stock of what we already know ", whispered a voice at Marinette's back.

"Bunnyx! Since when have you been here." asked Marinette, surprised to see the other older heroine as she whipped around. 

"I have been out of my burrow long enough to have tears in my eyes while listening to the sentimental speeches of the little black rat." She said sarcastically with a smirk.

"I am not a rat, I am a cat! And I'm not sentimental! I destroy dinosaurs, burn down monuments, decimate nations and I can also destroy you just by blowing on your big ears, _Bugs Bunny_!" Plagg flew away just in front of Bunnyx's eyes, shooting a hard gaze at her. 

"Yes. It's what I say. Rats decimated entire nations by carrying the plague. And they also eat a lot of emmental." Bunnyx said calmly, not impressed by the kwami's threat. 

"Not emmental but camembert, stinky and absolutely delicious! Stupid carrot eater. " answered Plagg, outraged. 

"Enough, Stinky socks! Bunnyx is here for helping us to find Chat Noir, so please, be nice!" exclaimed Tikki. 

The little Kwami cat gave a last cold gaze to the holder of the rabbit's miraculous, then turned his back and went to his pillow. "Fine, let's take stock." he finally answered with a sigh. 

For a few minutes they summarized with Bunnyx the information they had. Soon, they had to face the obvious: they had very few elements in their possession.

Marinette decided to proceed in stages, beginning by understanding how Mayura had been able to open a portal. 

The first thing to do was to make some research about the Peacock Miraculous, a jewel on which she had almost none information and which presumably held a power, more powerful than she thought. 

"Gabriel Agreste owns a tablet that belonged to Master Fû, and that he has stolen from him. It contains the translation of a scripture that held the secrets of each of the Miraculous of the Miracle Box whose I have the keeping. We need to find this tablet." 

"It wouldn't be difficult, it must certainly be hidden in the office safe," said Plagg.

"Can you open it?" 

"Of course, who do you take me for?! I remind you that we kwamis can pass through matter. Moreover, no lock or padlock can resist the God of Destruction. Follow me, ladies and rabbit! 

"I'm sorry, I have a Roller Derby competition that starts in less than an hour, I have to go. You know where to find me if you need me. Good luck Ladybug!" Bunnyx made her burrow appear and waved to them, before disappearing inside.

After the departure of Bunnyx, Marinette and Tikki followed Plagg through the corridors of the Agreste Manor. She couldn't help but notice how, from year to year, the home of the fashion Designer had become more austere, more gloomy and less welcoming than it had already been the first time she had set foot in it. 

It was a home without warmth, without gaiety, without soul. Completely opposite of the warm, dynamic, optimistic and sociable young man that was Adrien.

As soon as they arrived in the office, Plagg infiltrated behind the portrait of  _ Madame Agreste _ , in an artistic style similar to that of the famous painting of the Austrian Gustav Klimt. In an instant, he opened the safe that the works of art was hiding. 

Inside, there were photos of Adrien's mother, a map of Tibet, the Guardian's book, a few other insignificant relics and Master Fu's tablet. 

Marinette hastened to take the latter and turn it on. "It is locked by a code!" She exclaimed, upset.

"Let me do it, Marinette." 

Tikki landed on the screen and quickly jumped from one encrypted key to the other and the contents of the tablet were accessible in less time than it takes to say: Ladybug. 

"There is nothing!” She shouted a few minutes later. "They had to have deleted the translation after they both had seen the information they needed!" 

"We still have the book!" 

"But no one to translate it, Tikki!" She answered, disappointed. 

Tikki took the book anyway, and then returned to her holder. "We'll find a way to translate it, Marinette, I promise. Don't give up." 

"Pigtails, Sugarcube, there's something you must come see below." interrupted Plagg, immersing himself from under the ground of the room. 

"Should I remind you that Marinette is unable to cross the walls or follow you there, Plagg?" 

"She can not take the easiest way like us, but she can take the elevator that led them to the floor yesterday. It also drives to the basement." replied the Kwami cat.

Marinette tried to remember where she saw Chat Noir positioning his fingers the night before. She groped several times on the canvas and after several unsuccessful attempts, Plagg sighted and passed through the painting. A click was heard immediately and access to the elevator opened.

Plagg was right, once in the elevator she pressed down the bottom arrow, and it slowly went down. 

She found herself moments later facing a long footbridge on which she tread carefully. 

At the end was a gigantic metal cylinder surrounded by greens and shrubs. Intrigued, she put a hand on the cylinder and it began to move. The metal wall retracted, revealing a new glass wall. Marinette leaned over what seemed to be a glass coffin, as in Snow White, she noted mentally for herself. 

Inside, there was a white fabric background with a small cushion of the same color, as well as a sumptuous red Rose frozen and made eternal by glycerin.

Suddenly, Mariette was struck by lightning.

"Adrien's mother was here. Hawkmoth... he.. he wanted to.. bring her back. That was why he coveted the power of our two Miraculous." 

* * *

**_1 week after Adrien/Chat Noir disappeared…_ **

This evening, as he laid down the dinner tray and took back the lunch tray that Adrien had not touched, Gabriel sighed and turned to his son. 

"Adrien, I accept that you refuse to leave this room, but if I make the effort to bring your meal, at least make the effort to eat it." He says sternly. 

"I'm not hungry." He said, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. 

"Even if it's created by magic, it's the same food prepared by our Chef, Adrien" Sighed Gabriel, exasperated. " **Eat**!" 

The man did not wait for his son's answer and went out of the room. Adrien stared at the plate with an empty stare, while moving the food with his fork, without ever bringing it to his mouth. He ends up giving up his cutlery to take the banana on the tray and eat it.

Shortly afterwards he opened the door to his room, and for the first time in a week, he ventured out into the corridors of the Manor.

He was amazed to see that the place where he was, was such a perfect replica of his house. Every detail was there, including the cold and austere atmosphere of the place. He walked from one end of the Manor to the other. Suddenly, a door caught his attention in the hallway where his father's room was also located. A door that wasn't there before.

As he put his hand on the handle and prepared to open, a noise stopped Adrien in his gesture. Gabriel was behind him and had just cleared his throat to signal his presence.

"It may be time for you to know the truth. Go on, come in." Gabriel exclaimed, moving to open the door himself.

Adrien came in and when he was in the room, he sucked his breath in. 

It was a room in which there was vegetation: small shrubs and bushes of red roses invaded the room. White butterflies swirled around the ground and around a glass coffin in which a sleeping woman was resting.

The vision which was offered to him violently constricted his chest, giving him the feeling that the air was missing and that the room was turning under his feet. When he approached and saw the face that he had missed so much, he began to suffocate painfully.

" _ Maman _ ..." He whispered, releasing the breath that he was holding. 

_ To be continued... _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments motivate the author.  
> Don't hesitate to leave me a review.  
> Thanks a lot.  
> Next week, Chapter 3 : Ladybug.  
> Miraculous kisses to all!


End file.
